Most of us have heard (or contributed to) the complaints that the Padres are becoming Arizona West… that Jeff Moorad has put his “yes” men in high places, is placating fans with promises of payrolls beginning with a “5,” and it won’t be long before we have a pool in centerfield.  But my faith in our ownership, for the time being, hinges on one unforgettable event – the Trevor Hoffman Jersey Retirement Ceremony.

We know it was a great day. It was electric.  You couldn’t have scripted more perfect weather; and the capacity crowd reacted perfectly to every single moment.  But the parts that were scripted are what stick with me – the Hoffman family walking out together from the bullpen, the procession of players, coaches and colleagues honoring Trevor, the most apropos Cadillac that drove onto the field.  The Padres’ front office could have easily whipped up a 5-minute highlight video, given Trevor a nice watch or plaque, let him make a few remarks and call it a day. The above-and-beyond factor of the festivities was not in the spectacle but in how Uniquely Padres it was.  Having not had many experiences with this type of thing as a Padres fan, I wasn’t quite sure what this all would look and feel like… but it felt perfect and natural.

Who else but Ted Leitner could have emceed the ceremony (love him or hate him, you could tell it meant the world to him); and how perfect was the video tribute from ACDC – a little unorthodox, but hey, it’s San Diego, right?  The laughter and surprises were capped by awe and sentiment when our living legends emerged together – if Gwynn, Garvey, Winfield and Jones didn’t take you back to a magical cornfield in Iowa then you may not be American – and the video of Ed Hoffman singing the National Anthem was absolutely genius, and beautiful.  Being there with my family, standing next to my dad, I was a weepy mess thinking about how much it meant to me.

This is not intended to be a review of the event, although I’m enjoying reminiscing.  Rather, it reminds me that we have signs that the current ownership and management understand what it means to be a San Diego Padres fan.  They respected the traditions we’ve established; they had reverence for the players, personnel and moments we’ve come to cherish.  They put months of planning into the details of the afternoon to make it special and memorable.  It was just that; and set the standard for commemorating team and personal achievements going forward… Sure, most of the credit probably goes to the marketing and in-game entertainment departments (kudos!), but Moorad and Garfinkel committed to it.  It wasn’t a Diamonbacks’ event, it was so San Diego, and belonged to the fans as much as it did to #51.

And that is why, for now at least, I’m keeping the faith in the suits.  We all know changes won’t happen overnight, and I usually feel like we’re taking two steps forward and 1-3 steps back, but I have faith that there is a plan… that someone up there in the ivory tower is looking down on the bigger picture and visualizing how we’ll make room for the next retired Padres’ jersey.